5 Destinations Everyone Needs to Visit in Their Lifetime

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It’s Earth Day today! I am so grateful for this beautiful planet and believe we must all do our part to take care of this earth. Have you seen that t-shirt on social media that says “There’s No Planet B”? So true!

In honour of Earth Day, I am sharing some of our favourite places we’ve visited in the world (so far). We picked these five for different reasons and it was difficult to stick to just five, but my husband and I both agree these are definitely at the top of the list.

Our Top 5 Favourite Places We Have Visited (So Far)

1. The Great Ocean Road

In July of 2015, my husband and I spent 17 days in southern Australia. We flew into Sydney, rented a camper van and headed out on the road to Adelaide along the coast of the Southern Ocean. It was a breathtaking adventure that took us to beautiful beaches and picturesque vineyards but we agree The Great Ocean Road was truly memorable.

You can plan an entire vacation along this 400 km stretch of road alone but we only had 2 days to get from Melbourne to Adelaide so we hit the highlights. From watching the surfers at the world-famous Bells Beach to the 12 Apostles in Port Campbell National Park, we were treated to stunning views and remarkable experiences all along the way.

There are so many quaint coastal towns you can visit to shop, eat, explore and spend the night before getting back on the road to experience more beauty. Have your camera ready! You won’t believe the views around every corner.

2. Tuscany

My heart will always belong to Italy. Everything we love in the world is what Italy is famous for. Food…wine…beautiful scenery…I can’t get enough! During our honeymoon in Italy, we spent a few days in the Tuscan Valley and we cannot wait to return. The rolling hills, charming farmhouses, and scenic vineyards will leave you in awe.

We booked accommodations in Siena, a dreamy little city of medieval buildings and cobblestone streets just an hour from Florence. Siena is considered to be one of the most beautiful Italian cities and it’s a lot quieter than Rome and Florence which makes your evening wine and antipasti pleasantly tranquil.

We booked private wine tours over two days and visited the famed Chianti Classico wine region as well as discovered Brunello and Nobile wines in Montalcino and Montepulciano. We visited so many wonderfully unique vineyards and tiny Tuscan towns and enjoyed the beautiful scenery along the way.

3. The Caribbean

The Caribbean is a welcome escape from a Canadian winter and a hectic work schedule. We love the laid-back culture of the Caribbean and have found the people to be incredibly friendly everywhere we have visited.

Our first visit to the Caribbean together was to Saint Martin. We booked an all-inclusive vacation to the brand new Sonesta Ocean Point Resort on Maho Beach and we fell in love with this island. We had a blast beach and patio hopping and even island hopping! During this trip, we took a ferry to St. Bart’s and had an amazing day on this gorgeous island also.  

Since our visit to St. Martin we have done two Caribbean cruises that have taken us to Belize, Honduras, Cozumel, St. Thomas and The Bahamas. About 15 years ago I also cruised to Turks & Caicos, the Cayman Islands, and Jamaica. There is not a Caribbean island we have visited that we haven’t loved! While we plan to cruise to every Caribbean island possible we also have plans to return to a few for an extended period of time. The great thing about the Caribbean is there is something to suit whatever adventure you seek.

4. Kraków, Poland

We recently spent three nights in Kraków during a family vacation through Europe. Our planned destination in this area was the Auschwitz-Birkenau Death Camps located just outside of Kraków and while our tour to Auschwitz-Birkenau will stay with us forever and literally changed us as humans, this charming little European city quickly became a wonderful surprise.

Kraków has faced its share of historical misery but has emerged as an endearing and beautiful city that won’t remain one of Europe’s best-kept secrets for long. The expansive market square in Old Town is the largest medieval square in Europe and is full of cafes, restaurants, and shops. The impressive St. Mary’s Basilica overlooks the square and every hour on the hour a bugler plays a bugle call from the window of the St. Mary’s tower.

There is quite a lot to explore in Kraków including the Wawel Castle, Kazimierz (an old Jewish neighbourhood where Schindler’s list was filmed), Oscar Schindler’s Factory and the Wieliczka Salt Mine. Kraków was one of the few eastern European cities that was not affected by bombings during World War II so many of the buildings and streets look like they did before the war.  We had no idea there was so much to do here and wished we had planned to stay a day longer.

The authentic Polish cuisine was mouthwatering and I’ve been dreaming of the pierogis (dumplings) since we left there! We couldn’t believe how delicious and inexpensive our meals in Kraków were and there are so many amazing restaurants to choose from. Kraków is only an hour flight from Berlin and is well worth the effort to get there.

5. Waterton Lakes National Park

There are a few Canadian treasures we could put on this list but we chose Waterton because of its modest reputation. This is a scenic mountain town in the Rocky Mountains of Canada that doesn’t get the attention it deserves. While Banff and Jasper tend to receive all of the accolades, Waterton is equally as beautiful. This park is about 900 km from our home town nestled in the southwest corner of Alberta bordering Glacier National Park in Montana, USA.

We chose Waterton as a quick getaway a couple of summers ago and were won over by its stunning views and all it has to offer. We aren’t avid hikers so we weren’t sure about the beautiful hikes Waterton boasts. Thankfully, there are varying degrees of difficulty when it comes to the trails in the park so we were able to do a few of them without issue and experience this park’s breathtaking beauty.

We also took a boat cruise from Upper Waterton Lake and across the international border to Goat Haunt, Montana. This is definitely something everyone should do while in Waterton. Words cannot describe the beauty of this valley. Regardless of the adventure, we had planned for the day, there was always a spectacular view of the majestic Rockies and the crystal blue lakes. Waterton is truly a little piece of heaven on Earth and we love that it is in our very own country and only takes us a day of driving to get there.

Thank you, Mother Earth for your magnificent beauty and the abundant gifts you provide in our own backyard and beyond. I will continue to honour you by taking care of you and enjoying your beauty.